How can nature kindergartens make room for children’s participation?

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Children’s right to participate is internationally recognised, and the early years are pivotal for realising children’s rights. Understanding how young children can exercise this right in different environmental and educational contexts is important for improving and facilitating pedagogical practices worldwide. Using natural environments for education has become increasingly popular in the Nordic countries, the UK, Australia and the United States.

The researchers explored how children and staff experience children’s participation through play and everyday life in kindergartens that organise most of their days outside. In Norway, these are called nature kindergartens. The primary data came from focus group interviews with 30 children and 20 staff members from six nature kindergartens in Norway.

The results indicate that nature’s open and fluid character creates a dynamic space for children’s play, stimulates creativity and social inclusion, promotes responsibility, and facilitates interdependency between generations. Staff promote and participate in children’s initiatives but refrain from introducing and controlling activities.

The researchers concluded that the environmental and educational contexts of nature kindergartens offer a range of situations for participation, while questioning whether all children have the capabilities needed for the active engagement required.